Belgium: Online vape shops are severely threatened

Brussels: An important information session was organized yesterday morning by the Federal authority (Service Public Fédéral - SPF) in charge of the regulation of vaping products. The stakeholders are now aware of the forthcoming decisions about their business. A deception point is reached.

After the Royal Decree transposing the EU TPD in the Belgian law had been suspended, last March, following the appeal by professionals in the sector of the e-cigarette, the entire community was hoping a re-thinking of the regulation in a more sensitive way by the government.

The meeting they attended yesterday confirms that the government is willing to be strict with vaping products and even stricter than the minimal and already constraining EU requirements.

Manufacturers or retailers will have to notify to the Ministry of Health any liquid or hardware susceptible to contain nicotine.

Notification fees have been revised to a lower €165 (against €4,000 in the former decree).

Any notification will he to be introduced 6 months before the product is released on the market.

Labelling will be strict and more constraining than on tobacco cigarette packs. They will have to read: “The nicotine contained in this product creates a strong dependence. Its use is not recommended by non-smokers”.

Warnings will have to be displayed in the three official languages: French, Dutch and German.

The maximum volume of re-fills is set to 10 ml and the maximum concentration is 20 mg/ml of nicotine.

Online sale is forbidden. The spokeperson indicated that controlling the age through this channel is not easy.

Age limit for purchasing vaping products: 16 years of age

No advertisment, no promotion.

Vaping ban in enclosed public places.

According to the attendants, a ban on indirect advertisement could extend to online forums and facebook groups. The associations like UBV may not be able to communicate with users. No exception to vaping ban is foreseen for vape shops. Further information are expected in the coming weeks.